Atletico Madrid defeat leaves Ralf Rangnick and Manchester United season on verge of collapse

Manchester United’s season is close to finished and it is not yet April. The pressure is growing on Ralf Rangnick. Of course, it would now take something really disastrous to unseat the interim coach before the end of the season, but we can be almost certain that the German does not have enough time to convince the board that he deserves to be kept on in the summer.

Ad/> The problems for United against Atletico Madrid were problems that should have been solved by the kind of manager the club needs. First up, Harry Maguire once again looked absolutely lost on the pitch. A captain should exude confidence, instead he cuts such a forlorn figure that his teammates must pity him, and those that don’t might — if reports are to be believed — resent that he continues to be picked in the first team.

Champions LeaguePelted with drinks but Simeone won’t care – this was one of his masterclasses20 MINUTES AGO Arriving at Old Trafford with such a well regarded reputation, the club, fans and players should have been able to at least rely upon Rangnick instilling some kind of organisation on the team’s backline. Jose Mourinho might have been counterproductive when he told the public that Luke Shaw only plays well when a coach micromanages him, but he does not appear to be wrong. Victor Lindelof is perhaps the only player in football who looks so broken by the prospect of playing football, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka offers less than he did when he arrived from Crystal Palace.

Alex Telles and Diogo Dalot have given fans little reason to be optimistic. With United nervy at the back, they need something special in order to keep winning. At the weekend they got it with Cristiano Ronaldo.